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P0R B0YS AND GIRLS. 


TALES 2F TROY 


Translated and Adapted from the German of 


Prof. C. WITT, 


BY 


CHARLES PeGARMO. 



BLOOMINGTON, ILL. 
Public-School Publishing Company. 
1891. 



Copyright, 1891, by 
Public-School Publishing Co., 
Bloomington, 111. 




PRESS OF 

PANTAGRAPH PTG AND STA. OO. 
BLOOMINGTON. ILL. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

1. Paris and Helen 3 

2. The Greeks at Aulis 9 

3 Iphigenia 13 

4. Greeks and Trojans 15 

5. The Quarrel of Agamemnon and Achilles . . 19 

6. Duel between Paris and Menelaus ... 23 

7. The Great Deeds of Diomed ... .28 

8. Hector and Ajax 32 

9. The Misfortune of the Greeks . . .36 

10. The Night Spies .... .39 

11. Patroclus .45 

12. Achilles and Hector .... .52 

13. Priam in the Greek Camp . .57 

14. Death of Achilles and Ajax .61 

15. The Destruction of Troy 64 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1. Frontispiece 3 

2. Fight for the Body of Patroculus ... 44 

3. Ajax Defending the Greek Ships . . . .48 

4. Hector’s Body Dragged at the Car of Achilles 56 

5. Priam Trying to Obtain the Body of Hector . 58 

6. Funeral of Hector 60 


PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES. 


The accented syllables are printed in italics. 


A-chil-les (kil). 

La-om-e-don. 

Ae-ne-as. 

Ma-cAa-on (ka). 

Ag-a-mem-non. 

Men-e-Az-us. 

A-jax. 

Mi-^er-va. 

An-^e-nor. 

My-ce-ne. 

A-pol-\o. 

J/yr-mi-dons. 

Bry-se-is. 

Ne-v e-ids. 

Cal-chas (kal-kas). 

Pal-a-rae-des. 

Cas-scm-dra. 

Pcm-da-rus. 

Chry-se (kry). 

Pa-^ro-clus. 

Chry-se-is (kry). 

Pe-le-us. 

i)i-o-med. 

Pe-neAo-pe. 

Do- Ion. 

PAe-sus. 

Gan-y-me-de. 

Te-fem-a-chus. 

Iph-i-ge-m-a. 

Ilh- a-ca. 

V-lys-ses. 


I 












































DIOMED CASTING HIS SPEAR AGAINST MARS. 


TALES OF TROY. 


PARIS AND HELEN. 


TTT HERE was once a sea-god named Nereus, who 
I lived upon the bottom of the sea in a splendid 
grotto with his fifty daughters, the Nereids, 
who spun with golden spindles. The Nereids were 
friendly to men, and whenever a ship was in danger 
from storm they were always glad to help the troubled 
sailors. They were all very beautiful, and one of them, 
Thetis, especially so. Even the gods of the sky loved 
them. Now, there was a young prince of Thessaly 
named Peleus, who was also a favorite of the gods. To 
him the gods gave the beautiful Thetis as his wife. The 
marriage was celebrated upon Mount Pelion. All 
the gods and goddesses were invited to the wedding, 
except the goddess of discord, Eris. Because she 
was not invited, Eris wanted revenge ; so, when the 
joyousness was greatest, she appeared suddenly 
with a golden apple in her hand, which she threw 
among the guests, crying, “ For the most beautiful”. 


4 


TALES OF TROY. 


Then she disappeared. A strife now arose among 
the goddesses, Juno, Minerva, and Venus, each of 
whom wished to be thought the most beautiful. 
They were all indeed very beautiful, much fairer 
than any mortal. Juno was the wife of Jupiter, the 
highest of the gods, and was as beautiful as could be 
imagined; whoever saw her was filled with rever- 
ence, and scarcely dared to look up at her. Minerva 
was beautiful like the daughter of a hero ; courage 
and wisdom glanced from her charming eyes. Venus 
was wonderfully lovely, and one could never tire of 
beholding her beauty. No one of them would give 
up to the others, and they decided to select a mortal 
as judge. But Eris had now her desire; for, since 
strife had arisen, all joyfulness was at an end, and 
the wedding guests departed. 

In Asia, in a deep woody valley of Mount Ida, 
not far from the city Troy, lived a young prince 
named Paris. He tended the flocks of his father. It 
was he who was chosen to decide which of the three 
goddesses was the most beautiful. 

He was one day sitting in the shadow of a tree, 
and playing upon a reed pipe, when suddenly the 
goddesses in their brilliant beauty appeared before 
him. They gave him the golden apple and told him 
to give it to the one whom he thought most beautiful. 
Juno said to him, “If you will give the apple to me, 
I will make you a mighty king, and you shall rule 


PARIS AND HELEN 


5 


over broad lands.” Minerva said, “If you will give 
me the apple, I will give you great wisdom, so that 
men shall praise you as a god, and shall come from 
afar to ask your advice.” But Venus said, “My 
reward to you, if you decide in my favor, shall 
be the most beautiful wife to be found upon the 
earth. ” 

Each gift promised by the goddesses as they spoke 
one by one, appeared to the prince the highest that 
could be desired. But, being young, he finally thought 
there could be nothing finer than to have the most 
beautiful wife on earth. Therefore he handed the 
apple to Venus. This victory greatly pleased Venus, 
but the other goddesses cast their hate upon Paris 
and his whole race. 

After a time, the report went every where, that the 
most beautiful maiden on earth was a daughter of the 
king of Sparta, Helen by name. The fame of her 
beauty went over all Greece, and there was scarcely 
a young prince who did not wish to claim the beau- 
tiful maiden as his wife. On this account there 
were soon many feasts at the court of Helen’s father. 
It was desired that the father should choose one of 
the princes, but he feared to do so. He feared that 
though he should make one happy, the others would 
become embittered and rise in hate against the hus- 
band of Helen, and thus disturb the peace of their 
house. He knew not what to do. 


6 


TALES OF TROY. 


But there was among the guests the young king 
of Ithaca, the cunning Ulysses, who like the others 
had gone to Sparta, hoping to marry Helen. How- 
ever, he saw there another maiden who pleased him 
better. Her name was Penelope, and she was the 
daughter of the noble Icarus, of Sparta. 

Ulysses had rightly guessed why Helen’s father 
appeared so anxious among his guests, and said to 
him that if he would induce Icarus to give him his 
daughter as wife, he would help him out of his 
trouble with a good piece of advice. This the king 
gladly promised, and Ulysses advised him, before 
the decision, to have all the guests swear to stand 
by the chosen husband of Helen, if he on their 
account should be betrayed into war. 

The king followed the wise advice, and not one 
of the guests refused to take the oath, since each 
thought that perhaps he might be chosen, and the 
others would have to help him. When all had sworn, 
Helen’s father announced his choice. He chose the 
brave young hero, Menelaus, as his son-in-law and 
heir to his kingdom. The king soon died and Mene- 
laus became king of Sparta, and was envied of many, 
because he had for his wife the most beautiful woman 
in Greece. 

After Menelaus and Helen had lived happily to- 
gether for a number of years, Venus thought it time 
to fulfill her promise to Paris. She came to him and 


PARIS AND HELEN. 


7 


said: ‘ 1 Prepare you a ship and sail to Sparta. There 
in the house of the king, Menelaus, you will find the 
most beautiful woman on earth. I will help you so 
that she will desert her husband, and go with you to 
Troy.” Paris besought his father, King Priam, to 
give him a ship, “For,” said he, “I wish to sail to 
G-reece to secure the friendship of the noble princes. ” 
The king granted the request, and Paris set sail. 
When he arrived in Sparta, he was warmly received, 
for how could Menelaus know that he had come to 
rob him of his wife? 

Helen soon felt the charm that V enus had laid upon 
her, and when she sat at table with her husband and 
Paris she could not cease looking at Paris, and from 
day to day was more and more pleased with him. 
Had she not been laid under a charm, she would 
not have preferred Paris, for though he was hand- 
some like a dancer, Menelaus had the beauty of a 
hero. Paris and Helen often talked together, and 
finally the queen consented to leave her husband and 
child and follow Paris, with all her treasures. One 
day when Menelaus was away from home, everything 
was prepared for the flight, and, when Menelaus re- 
turned, he saw, out upon the ocean, a ship in which 
Helen and her robber were sailing away. 

Menelaus was beside himself with grief and an- 
ger, and when his brother, Agamemnon, the power- 
ful king of Mycenae, heard of his misfortune, he 


8 


TALES OF TROY. 


paid him a visit at Sparta, and sought to comfort 
him with the hope that he would soon recover 
his wife ; for the princes who had given the oath 
were bound by it to help Menelaus get his wife back 
again. 


THE GREEKS AT AULIS. 


9 


THE GREEKS AT AULIS 




GAMEMNON went from one royal house to 
another, demanding instant preparation for 
war. He found everywhere willing attention, 
for, aside from the oath that had been taken, Paris’s 
shameful violation of hospitality inclined them to 
help Menelaus. All the heroes and their followers 
came together at the harbor of Aulis, with as many 
ships as they could furnish. When they had as- 
sembled, so great a fleet had never been seen in 
Greece. There were more than a thousand ships, 
and the heroes and soldiers that filled them were not 
to be numbered. Yet there were two heroes, with- 
out whom Agamemnon was unwilling to go to war. 
They were the cunning Ulysses and the strong 
Achilles. 

Ulysses was not afraid of war, for he went 
gladly where brave fighting was to be done. But 
now he was very happy at home, for he dearly 
loved his wife, Penelope, and besides, one year be- 
fore, a son had been born to him, the little Telem- 
achus. Now, since he remained away from Aulis, 


10 


TALES OF TROY. 


Agamemnon sent to Ithaca two heroes, Menelaus 
and Palamedes, to induce him to join in the war. 
When Ulysses heard of the two guests who had landed 
upon the island, he quickly thought of a stratagem. 
He yoked up an ox and a donkey together, and be- 
gan to plow the sea-shore with the strange team. 
He made curious gestures as if he had gone mad, 
and instead of wheat he strewed salt in the furrows. 
Menelaus thought that Ulysses had really lost his 
reason, but Palamedes suspected that it was a strat- 
agem. The nurse standing near by with little 
Telemachus, he took the child from her arms and laid 
him in the furrow before the approaching team. Had 
Ulysses been mad, as he pretended to be, he would, 
without thought, have continued his course, but he 
quickly stopped the team, picked up his little son and 
hugged and kissed him. Thus was the cunning 
Ulysses outwitted by another. He yielded to the 
wish of the heroes, took leave of wife and child, and 
departed with twelve ships to the aid of the Greeks. 

Achilles was the son of king Peleus and his wife, 
the goddess Thetis. Fate had ordained that his 
life should be either long and quiet, or short and 
glorious. The choice between the two lots was not 
hard for the mother, for she would gladly have dis- 
pensed with the honor of being the mother of a hero 
whose name should be in every mouth, if only her 
son might have long life. When the Greeks began 


THE GREEKS AT ATJLIS. 


11 


to arm against Troy, she took the young hero to 
an island and kept him there concealed, for she knew 
that he would gladly accept an invitation of the 
Greeks to share the dangers of the war. 

The Greeks had also learned in Aulis, through 
Calchas the priest, who understood the signs of the 
gods, that they would not be able to conquer unless 
Achilles joined them in the war ; so Agamemnon sent 
Ulysses and some other heroes to get news of him. 
They inquired everywhere, and finally learned that 
Achilles was at the house of King Lycomedes upon 
the island of Scyros. The king had many daughters, 
and Achilles dwelt among them in girl’s clothing. 

The messengers now went to Scyros and passed 
themselves off as merchants, traveling about with 
articles of dress for women. Thus they were led 
into the room where the daughters of the king 
stayed, and Ulysses spread out many pieces of cloth 
before them and bargained with them. But he had 
also brought a lance, and a shield, which he placed in 
a corner of the hall. Suddenly a war trumpet 
sounded before the door, as if an enemy had invaded 
the land and surprised the house. Ulysses had so 
arranged the matter with his companions. The 
girls, who were much alarmed, shrieked and ran away. 
But one of them went with manly tread to the cor- 
ner where shield and lance stood, seized them and 
hastened to the door to meet the foe. So Ulysses 


12 


TALES OF TROY. 


recognized the young hero, and, laughingly holding 
him back, said to him: “ You are Achilles, but we 
are not peddlers ; we are heroes sent out by Aga- 
memnon to seek you, and to invite you to the war 
against Troy.” Achilles gladly accepted the invita- 
tion, went to his father and armed himself for the 
war. Peleus gave him ships, and a troop of brave 
soldiers. He also admonished his son, in parting, 
ever to prove himself the bravest of the Greeks. 

Before the Greeks went to war, they made one 
more effort to see if the Trojans would not return 
Helen and her treasures. Menelaus and Ulysses 
were chosen for this purpose, and sailed to Troy, 
Menelaus as the husband of the stolen woman, 
Ulysses as a master of wise and skillful speech. 
They made their demands, and said that a great 
army was assembled to conquer and destroy the 
city, should the Trojans refuse to give up Helen. 
Many in Troy did, indeed, advise peace, but Paris 
declared that he would never give up his splendid 
booty; and his father, the king, and the most of the 
Trojans were so charmed with the goddess-like beauty 
of Helen that they determined to risk a dangerous 
war to keep her. The messengers could, therefore, do 
nothing, and soon left the city. They received 
friendly entertainment in the house of prince 
Antenor, but the people would surely have insulted 
and mistreated them, had not Antenor prevented. 


IP HI GEN I A . 


13 


IPHIGENIA. 


TP T LL preparations were now made in Aulis, and 
the was read y to de P ai *t, but contrary 

winds blew constantly. As favorable winds 
did not arise, the Trojans desired the priest, Calchas, 
to inquire of the gods why they were angry, and how 
their anger could be appeased. Agamemnon had been 
on a hunt once and had killed a doe that was a 
particular favorite of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. 
As a punishment she would not allow a favorable 
wind to blow, and would be appeased only when 
Agamemnon should offer his daughter, Iphigenia, 
as a sacrifice. The king was dreadfully shocked, 
for his daughter was his greatest joy. He would 
hear nothing of such a thing, and would rather let 
anything happen than to offer up the lovely girl as 
a sacrifice to the knife. Thus some time passed, 
but the Greeks grew more and more impatient. 
They told him, that, for the sake of his brother and 
all Greece, he must obey the command of the gods, 
and they finally persuaded him to do so. The 
maiden had then to be brought. But her mother 


14 


TALES OF TROY. 


would on no account allow her daughter to go, 
should she learn the fate that stood before her. 
Therefore Agamemnon deceived his wife, and sent 
word to her that she should send Iphigenia to the 
camp at once, for before the departure for Troy he 
wanted her to promise to marry Achilles. The 
mother rejoiced at this happy prospect, and came 
with her daughter to Aulis in grand style. But when 
she learned the truth, she was seized with rage and 
despair, and cursed her husband. Iphigenia would 
gladly have lived longer, but since the Greeks could 
not depart without her death, she yielded to the bit- 
ter need, and allowed herself willingly to be led 
to the altar. The fire already flamed high, the 
priest stood beside the maiden with a long, sharp 
knife, and prayed to Diana. He had raised the 
knife to finish the sacrifice, when suddenly a cloud 
sank down, and as it rose again, there lay a doe. 
The maiden had vanished. The priest saw the will 
of the goddess, and slaughtered the doe as a sacri- 
fice. Scarcely had this been done when a favorable 
wind sprang up. Iphigenia was borne away through 
the air to a distant country, where she served as a 
priestess in the temple of Diana. But after some 
years had passed, she was allowed to return to her 
beloved native land. 


GREEKS AND TROJANS. 


15 


GREEKS AND TROJANS. 


TTT HE fleet now sailed across the broad sea to Asia, 

I where Troy lay. When the Greeks landed 
near the city, they drew their ships upon dry 
land and arranged them in long rows, one behind the 
other. And then the numberless tents in which 
the princes and their men lived ! The ship-yard 
looked like a city with wide and narrow streets, not 
smaller than the mighty Troy. The Trojans were 
astonished as they saw the seemingly unending ship- 
yard of the enemy. But they did not on this account 
lose courage, for they had sent to all their friends and 
neighbors, and numerous troops of brave men had 
hastened to their assistance. Above all, though, they 
trusted to the sons of their king, Priam. Priam had 
fifty sons, with not a coward among them. One 
of them, Hector, the eldest, was a hero of great 
power, a splendid leader of the army, attached to 
his country with hearty love, and ever ready to give 
his life for her. There were also many other brave 
heroes among the people. They had, besides, as a 
last resort, the city with its high walls and solid gates, 


16 


TALES OF TROY. 


where after evil days they found a safe retreat. The 
Trojans hoped, therefore, that the Greeks would soon 
be obliged to give up the war, and retreat with shame. 
They knew not what a host of chosen heroes had as- 
sembled under the leadership of Agamemnon. The 
strongest and most powerful among them was 
Achilles, but there were many that in hero strength 
did not stand far behind him. 

The Greeks were not only provided with many 
noble men for the battle, but they had also the best 
advisers. There were the cunning Ulysses and the 
experienced Nestor. Nestor had in his younger 
days lived among the heroes of that time, and had 
made himself famous in many dangerous battles. 
Now, even the grandchildren of his companions in 
youth were grown men, and he might well at his age 
have favored himself by remaining quietly at home, 
and had the returning soldiers relate to him every- 
thing that had occurred in the war. But his manly 
courage would not let him rest at home ; he followed 
the young heroes to Troy, gained honor in battle, 
and still more in the meetings of the princes, when 
it was necessary to consider what would bring the 
most honor and advantage. Nestor could then relate, 
as models, the heroic deeds of former times, as he 
knew them from his own experience ; and his speech 
flowed so clear and attractive, that his advice always 
found approval with his hearers. 


GREEKS AND TROJANS. 


17 


Soon the battles before Troy began, and the field 
between the camp and the city was wet with much 
blood. Year after year passed, yet the end of the 
war was not to be seen, because there were many 
brave heroes upon both sides, and fortune favored 
now one, now the other. It was as when two troops 
of boys at play pull upon a rope, one in this direction 
and the other in that. It is often long before the 
victory is decided, for when one side is tired, and it 
appears as if the other would pull the rope away, 
new boys catch hold or the strong ones exert their 
whole strength, and make the contest even again. 

The sky, with its gods, was also drawn into the 
war, since both Greeks and Trojans had their friends 
among them, who came to the help of their favorites 
when they were in danger. Juno and Minerva had 
always been partial to the Greeks, but in this war 
they helped them very gladly, since they hated the 
Trojans as the people of Paris, and wished their 
downfall. 

The Greeks were far from home, and had to take 
from the land of the enemy everything that they 
needed to eat. They often went far and near in the 
surrounding country, where their enemies lived, in 
order to plunder. The men were killed and the wom- 
en led into slavery; herds of cattle and whatever 
else of value was to be found in the land were gathered 
together. No other warrior won so much for the 


18 


TALES OF TROY. 


Greeks as Achilles. Whenever he or another prince 
returned from a robbing expedition, the booty was 
divided among the nobles and men. The men always 
had, therefore, more than enough to live upon, and 
the princes became rich in implements of gold and 
silver, and other precious things. 


QUARREL OF AGAMEMNON AND ACHILLES. 19 


THE QUARREL OF AGAMEMNON AND ACHILLES. 


T INE years passed in this way, and the hopes 
■©J N Greeks were set upon the tenth. For 

when they were assembled in Aulis, a sign 
had occurred, which promised them in the tenth year 
the end of the war, and victory over the hostile city. 
They had built an altar of sod under a beautiful 
plane tree, along-side which a spring flowed, and 
there they offered a great sacrifice to the gods. A sac- 
rifice of many animals was called a hecatomb. There 
came a dragon with a blood-red back, out from under 
the altar, and crawled up the tree, where there was 
a nest with eight young sparrows in it. The little 
sparrows cried piteously, but the dragon swallowed 
them one by one ; the mother sparrow flew close to 
the nest constantly, as if she would protect her 
young. At last she also was eaten. The dragon 
then became stone, and was without life or motion. 
The priest, Calchas, then said, “Just as the dragon 
has swallowed the nine sparrows, so shall we fight 
nine years in vain, but in the tenth year we shall con- 
quer the city.” 


20 


TALES OF TROY. 


But just at this time there arose a dangerous 
quarrel among the Greeks themselves. After a plun- 
dering trip, Agamemnon had received, as a gift of 
honor, a beautiful and skillful slave, whose name 
was Chryseis. Her father was a priest of Apollo, 
in the city of Chryse. He came into the camp 
with a golden wand and a holy wreath, begging 
in the name of his god the return of his daughter, 
and offering for her a rich ransom in money. The 
other princes advised Agamemnon to honor the priest 
and to return his daughter, but he denied the old 
man with rough words, and threatened him with 
severe punishment, should he again show himself in 
the camp. The priest sadly returned, and prayed to 
Apollo for revenge on the Greeks. The god granted 
his prayer. A bad sickness broke out, first among 
the dogs and mules of the camp, then among the 
men, many of whom it destroyed, so that the flames 
might ever be seen among the funeral piles upon 
which the bodies were burned. This pest Apollo had 
caused with his invisible arrows. When this had 
continued for some time, Achilles called a meeting, 
and advised that a soothsayer should inquire why 
Apollo was offended, and how he might be appeased. 
Calchas knew very well, but he did not like to tell, 
unless Achilles would promise him protection against 
those who would be angry. Achilles promised this, 
even though it should be Agamemnon himself. 


QUARREL OF AGAMEMNON AND ACHILLES. 21 

Calchas now declared the cause of the pest, and said 
that it would not cease until the daughter of the priest 
should be returned to him without ransom, and a hec- 
atomb be offered to the god. 

This offended Agamemnon much, yet he said that 
for the sake of the Greeks he would return the slave 
to her father, but that they must at once give him 
another in her place. Achilles sought to comfort 
him, by saying that when Troy was conquered, the 
present loss should be made good three and fourfold. 
But Agamemnon was already angry at Achilles, be- 
cause he had promised the soothsayer his protection. 
He now became more angry, and even demanded 
that Achilles should give up his gift of honor, the 
slave, Briseis, and said that if it was not done 
willingly, he would take her by force. Then there 
were angry speeches between them, and at last 
Achilles said that for the sake of the Greeks he would 
raise no battle against the king, but because he had 
been so unthankfully rewarded for his service to the 
Greeks, he would take no more part in the war, but 
launch his ships and return home. Agamemnon acted 
as if it made no difference to him ; then Achilles threw 
his princely scepter to the ground and cried, “So 
sure as this staff bears neither leaves nor branches 
since it was cut from the tree, so sure will the time 
come when the Greeks shall long for my aid, and you 
shall bitterly regret that you have denied to the best 


22 


TALES OF TROY. 


of your heroes the honor that belongs to him.” 
Achilles kept his word. When Agamemnon sent two 
heralds to get Briseis, he allowed her to go, but she 
would rather have stayed with Achilles. After 
this he remained away from the battles as well as 
from the councils of the Greeks, although he was 
always sorrowful not to join in the war. 

Agamemnon sent the priest’s daughter to Chryse 
without ransom, and a hecatomb was offered 
upon the altar of Apollo. The priest now prayed to 
his god that the pest might cease. In the camp of 
the Greeks also sacrifices were offered ; the soldiers 
washed their bodies and threw the sponges they 
had used into the sea, that no trace of the anger 
of the god might remain. Then the pest ceased. 


DUEL BETWEEN PARIS AND MENELAUS. 23 


DUEL BETWEEN PARIS AND MENELAUS. 


T HE Greeks again moved out to battle, but the 
* Myrmidons, the brave people of Achilles, re- 
mained in their tents. They passed the time 
away with all sorts of manly games upon the 
sea-shore. Some threw with heavy quoits, some 
with spears, and some shot with arrows. The 
horses that formerly rushed over the battle-field with 
the war chariots, could .now quietly pasture, for the 
chariots stood in the tents, covered with blankets. 
But the Myrmidons would much rather have taken 
part in the battle. When the Trojans saw the 
Greeks coming on to fight, they also gathered, and 
hastened out of the gates to meet them. Upon both 
sides, the princes and nobles led the foot soldiers, 
being mostly in war chariots. In the foremost rank 
of the Trojans came Paris, and with a loud voice 
challenged the best hero among the Greeks to fight 
with him. When Menelaus heard this, he sprang 
joyously down from his chariot and hastened toward 
him, for with no one would he rather fight than 
with the robber of his wife. But Paris, like a wan- 


/ 


24 TALES OF TROY. 

derer who comes unsuspectingly upon a great snake 
in a bushy ravine, was terrified before him, and 
quickly retreated among his companions. His 
brother, Hector, followed him and condemned his 
cowardice. “How the Greeks will laugh at 
you, ” said he; “you are bold enough to rob a 
man of his wife', but your courage goes no further ; 
for your piping, your pretty face, and your lovely 
hair do not help you in the battle.” Paris was 
ashamed of himself, and said: “Your censure is 
just. The Greeks and the Trojans may refrain 
from battle and seat themselves ; I will fight 
with Menelaus for Helen and her treasures.” Then 
Hector stepped in front of the Trojans and made a 
sign that he wished to speak. When Agamemnon 
had ordered quiet, he announced the purpose of his 
brother. Menelaus then said : 1 1 Our duel shall de- 
cide the war ; but first the Greeks and Trojans must 
make a solemn treaty, that the defeated party shall 
abide by the result of the fight. Bring King Priam 
here; we will trust the oath of the aged man.” 
Both sides rejoiced at the prospect of ending the 
war, and cast themselves upon the ground not far 
apart. 

Hector sent two heralds to the city, and, not 
long after, Priam with the aged A ntenor came to- 
ward^ the battle-field. Three lambs, one of them 
black , 7 were placed in the open ground between 


DUEL BETWEEN PARIS AND MENELAUS. 25 


them. Agamemnon cut the wool from the fore- 
heads of the lambs, and called upon Jupiter, the sun, 
the gods of the neighboring rivers, and the god- 
desses of the earth, to witness his oath. Then he 
cut the throats of the lambs and let them bleed to 
death upon the earth. Heralds brought beakers of 
wine as a drink-offering to the gods. Both Greeks 
and Trojans prayed that Jupiter might punish him 
who broke the oath, — that as the wine flowed to 
the earth, so his blood might moisten the ground. 
When the treaty was finished, Priam rode back to 
the city ; for he did not wish to be by when his son 
should, perhaps, fall in fight. Hector and Ulysses 
measured the ground, and showed the fighters 
their places. Then they placed two marked stones 
in a helmet, which Hector shook without looking, 
and since the one marked for Paris fell out first he 
had the first throw. His lance hit the shield of 
Menelaus, but did not go through it. Menelaus now 
prayed to Jupiter to give him the victory over his 
enemy, that men might learn to fear to do evil deeds 
to the host who treated them with hospitality. He 
threw his lance much harder than Paris had thrown 
his ; shield and clothing were pierced, but Paris leaned 
to one side, and the lance passed by him. Menelaus 
now sprang toward him with lifted sword and rained 
mighty blows upon his helmet that he might split 
his head, but the sword broke into three pieces. 


26 


TALES OF TROY. 


Quickly he seized the plume of the helmet, threw 
Paris to the earth, and sought to drag him away, in 
order to kill him with a new weapon. But Venus, 
the protecting goddess of Paris, approached jsilent 
and invisible, and loosened the band of the helmet, 
so that Menelaus held the empty helmet in his hand. 
This he threw at the G-reeks, and seized a lance, but 
when he looked about for Paris he was not to be 
seen. Menelaus sought him everywhere among the 
Trojans, who would not have helped Paris, for they 
now hated the cause of the evil war ; but not a trace 
of him was to be found. Venus had concealed him 
in a cloud and borne him through the air to his 
palace, where he now lay stretched out comfortably 
upon a sofa. 

Helen viewed the duel from the walls, and hoped 
that her first husband might win the fight, for the 
charm which Venus had formerly laid upon her had 
now no more force, and she bitterly regretted that 
for the sake of Paris she had left her home and the 
hero, Menelaus. 

Agamemnon shouted to the Trojans, “Menelaus 
has won, and you must give up Helen and her treas- 
ures. ” Not one of the Trojans contradicted him. 
But the decision of the gods was otherwise. Juno 
and Minerva had sworn the destruction of Troy, and 
would not allow the war to end without the destruc- 
tion of the hated city. Minerva, therefore, assumed 


DUEL BETWEEN PARIS AND MENELAUS. 2? 


the form of a Trojan hero and went to Pandarus, a 
noble from the neighborhood of Troy, who had come 
with his troops to the help of Priam. She said to 
him: “You can now gain great favor with Paris, 
if you will kill his worst enemy, Menelaus, who stands 
there unsuspectingly among the G-reeks. Pray to 
Apollo, that he allow your shot to succeed. ” Pan- 
darus was easily tempted. He seized his bow and 
an arrow, and several of the Trojans placed their 
shields before him, to hide him from the view of the 
Greeks. After he had prayed to Apollo, he aimed 
through a crack between the shields and let fly 
Pandarus was a fine shot with the bow, and his ar- 
row was well aimed. Menelaus would have been shot 
through the heart had not Minerva turned the arrow 
a little to one side, so that it struck a spot where it 
went through the double girdle and the coat, and 
penetrated the flesh only to a shallow depth. Thus 
the treaty was broken and the war kindled anew. 
Greeks and Trojans arose from the ground, and 
soon the tumult of battle raged to and fro. 


28 


TALES OF TROY. 


THE GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED. 


TT MONO the Greeks this day, Diomed made 
himself famous. He was a very brave young 
hero, and therefore a favorite of Minerva. 
He had already killed many Trojans, when Pandarus 
saw him, shot at him, and hit him in the right 
shoulder. The arrow pierced through the armor 
and projected on the other side. Pandarus shouted 
joyously, “Forward boldly, ye Trojans ! The best of 
the Greeks is wounded, and will not live long.” The 
wound was not so dangerous after all, but Diomed 
could fight no longer. He left the field out of humor, 
and a friend had to draw out the arrow. Then he 
prayed to Minerva : 1 ‘ High Goddess ! Grant me your 
favor, and let me soon meet again in battle the man 
who has wounded me, and who boasts that he has shot 
me to death. ” Suddenly he felt new power and fresh- 
ness in his limbs, as if nothing had happened to him. 
The goddess herself appeared and said : “You may 
now go again to battle; not only Trojans, but 
also gods, stand opposed to you to-day. That you 
may know them, I take from your eyes the mist 


GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED. 


29 


that conceals them from you mortals. Avoid the 
other gods, but if Venus mixes in the fight, do not 
spare her. ” Diomed now hastened to the foremost 
rank, and if he had before been dangerous to the foe, 
he was now destructive. He raged like a lion among 
them. One of the Trojan princes, Aeneas, who was 
a son of Venus, was sorry for the distress of the 
people. He sought out Pandarus and besought him, 
sure shot that he was, to use his bow, and to remove 
the murderous enemy of the Trojans. Pandarus 
angrily replied : “It appears to be Diomed again, al- 
though a short time ago I hit him with my arrow. 
If it is settled that I am to get home again, let him 
who will, separate my head from my body, if I do not 
the first thing break my bow and throw it into the 
fire. Twice have I used it to-day, and hit both times, 
yet only angered the heroes the more. How much 
better would it have been, had I brought a chariot 
and fought with lance and sword.” Aeneas now 
told Pandarus to mount the chariot with him. 
He did so gladly, and asked to fight while Aeneas 
guided the chariot. Then they drove toward 
Diomed. When Diomed saw them approach, he 
said to the friend who fought at his side: “I hope 
they will not get away alive, at least not both of 
them. If Minerva stands by me, and I kill them, 
drive off the splendid span as a rich booty, for the 
horses descend from those horses of the gods that 


30 


TALES OF TROY. 


Jupiter once gave to king Laomedon as a return for 
his son Ganymede.” Jupiter bad had the handsome 
Ganymede taken to heaven by his eagle, where he 
served as a beloved cup-bearer. Pandarus called out 
to Diomed from his chariot, “My arrow didJiot kill 
you, so I will try it with the lance.” He threw, and 
when he saw that his lance had penetrated the shield, 
he cried aloud, “You are hit, your death is near.” 
The lance had not pierced the flesh. Now Diomed 
threw, and struck Pandarus between the nose and 
the eyes, so that he sank at once to earth, dead. 
Aeneas, wishing to protect the corpse of his friend, 
sprang from his chariot and stepped before the body. 
Then Diomed seized a huge stone, threw it at 
Aeneas, and struck him a fearful blow on the hip; 
the bone was crushed and he lost his senses. But 
his mother, Venus, was quickly there ; she embraced 
him and held her garment before him. Diomed 
recognized her and cried, “Is it not enough that 
you make fools out of weak women? Do you want 
to meddle with battle and war ?” And because it was 
no other goddess, but just Venus, he stabbed at her 
with his spear, and wounded her on her beautiful 
hand. Blood did not flow out, for the gods, who 
partake neither of bread nor wine, have no blood in 
their veins, but instead, the red fluid, ichor, which 
streamed over her tender skin. Terrified, she cried 
aloud, dropped the body of her son, and hastened 


GREAT DEEDS OF DIOMED. 


31 


away. Yet Apollo, who was a friend to the Trojans, 
concealed Aeneas in a cloud, which made him invis- 
ible to his foes. But Diomed recognized the god 
and knew that Aeneas lay upon the same spot as be- 
fore. Unterrified, he pressed toward him and sought 
three times to kill him, but Apollo drove him back 
each time with a mighty push upon his shield. As 
Diomed approached the fourth time, Apollo shouted 
with a voice that went through Diomed’s bone and 
marrow : “ Back, Diomed, and venture not against 

the gods ! ” Then Diomed stood back. His compan- 
ion had, in the meantime, driven the royal span of 
horses to the Greek tents. 

Complaining and groaning, Venus arrived in the 
sky. Her wound was quickly healed, but Minerva 
mocked at her, and said to Jupiter, so that she 
could hear: “Venus has probably been trying to 
persuade another Greek wife to run Shvay with one 
of the Trojans, whom she now so dearly loves, and 
has, in her caressing, scratched her hand on a 
golden clasp.” 


32 


TALES OF TROY. 


HECTOR AND AJAX. 


T7 S evening approached, Hector again gave a 
0/1 s *S n ^at w i s ^ e( ^ speak to the Greeks. 

Both armies ceased to fight, and Hector 
cried : “Ye Trojans and Greeks ! Jupiter has not al- 
lowed our treaty to be fulfilled ; we must continue 
to fight until the victory is decided. Then let one 
of your best heroes step out and prepare himself fo:* 
a duel with me. Let it be agreed that the armor of 
the slain belong to the victor, but his body be given 
to his friends for honorable burial.” 

Nine heroes from among the Greeks offered 
themselves for the fight, and when they drew lots 
the choice fell upon him whom the Greeks most d3- 
sired, the mighty Ajax. Ajax himself also rejoiced 
that the lot had fallen upon him. He strode about 
in his full armor like a god of war, and was as joy- 
ous as if going to the dance. On his left arm he 
held a mighty shield, which protected the tall man 
from top to toe. Seven layers of toughest bull’s 
hide were covered by an eighth one of brass. The 
Trojans feared for Hector, and Hector himself felt 


HECTOR AND AJAX. 


33 


his heart beat faster than usual. Ajax said to 
him : “ Even though Achilles loiters by his ships in 
anger, we have still many who do not fear you. Go 
on! Make the first throw.” Hector drew far back 
with his spear and hurled it with all his might 
against Ajax. The throw was powerful enough, 
but it pierced only six folds of the shield. It re- 
mained sticking in the seventh. Now Ajax threw, 
and his spear pierced not only the shield and armor of 
his opponent, but would have wounded him in a 
dangerous place, had not Hector shrunk a little to 
one side so that the spear passed by. Both now 
drew the lances out, and fell upon each other like 
lions or wild boars. After Ajax had given Hector 
a slight wound on the neck, Hector took a heavy 
stone from the ground and struck the shield of Ajax 
in the middle. Then Ajax heaved a mightier stone, 
large enough for a mill-stone, and threw it with such 
force that it broke through the shield, and Hector 
and shield fell to earth, yet he sprang up again at 
once. They now thought to continue the battle 
with swords, but the sun was sinking, and the old 
heralds, who were the seconds of the duel, stretched 
their- wands between them. The herald of the 
Trojans said : “Dear children, Jupiter loves you 
both, you are both brave heroes. Night approaches, 
and it is now proper for you to rest, not to fight.” 
Ajax left it to Hector to decide whether they should 


34 


TALES OF TROY. 


continue or close the fight, since he was the chal- 
lenger. Hector said : “Let us stop for to-day; we 
shall often try our strength together again. But 
before we part, we will exchange gifts of honor 
It will then be said of us, that after hard battle we 
parted as friends. ” Hector gave Ajax his sword and 
belt, and Ajax gave Hector his purple-colored girdle. 

So ended the battle of this day, and both parties 
left the field. The Trojans held a council in their 
city. The old Antenor arose and spoke : “We can 
not deny it, the holy treaty was broken by us, and 
I fear the punishment of the gods. Therefore, be 
advised, and give Helen and the treasures back to 
the Greeks.” But Paris objected strongly. The 
treasures he would give back for the sake of peace, 
but on no account would he give up Helen. 

Next morning a herald was sent to the Greek 
princes, offering the treasures of Helen as the price 
of peace. But the Greeks refused, and Diomed 
said, “If you would give up Helen also, we would 
still continue the war, for even a fool must see that 
ruin is hanging over you.” But they agreed to 
stop the fighting for a few days, until the dead from 
the battle-field could be gathered and buried. 

The Greeks took advantage of the truce, to pro- 
tect their camp and ships from the attacks of the 
enemy. ' They built a wall, having several gates, 
along their whole camp, and dug a ditch before it. 


HECTOR AND AJAX. 


35 


To the joy of the Greeks there arrived in these 
days a ship from Lemnos, loaded with wine. The 
king of this island sent a thousand measures of wine 
to Agamemnon and Menelaus as a present ; the re- 
mainder was for sale. Since in those days they 
had no coined money, the Greeks brought all sorts 
of valuable things; one copper, another iron, an- 
other hides, another living cattle, or even slaves, 
and for all these things the sailors sold their wine 


36 


TALES OF TROY . 


THE MISFORTUNE OF THE GREEKS. 


I N the night before the next battle heavy thunder 
was heard, and the Greeks feared that this was 
the sign of misfortune. And so it was. When 
it came to battle, the struggle was uncertain for a 
time ; now one part of the army, now another had 
to retreat, and the longer they fought, the worse 
it grew for the Greeks, so that they were glad when 
night finally came on, and they found protection be- 
hind their walls. But the Trojans were sorry to see 
the sun go down, for they hoped to destroy the 
Greeks, one and all. Then, because they thought the 
Greeks would use the night to flee from the revenge 
of the Trojans by seeking the sea with their ships, 
they resolved to pass the night upon the open field 
before the city, and to stop the Greeks if they tried 
to get away. Soon many watch-fires flamed upon 
the field, about each of which sat a troop of Trojans. 
They had brought meat, bread, and wine from the 
city ; now they prepared their supper, strengthened 
themselves with food and drink, and kept on the 
alert. 


THE MISFORTUNE OF THE GREEKS. 


37 


The Greek princes were in great trouble regard- 
ing the next day, especially Agamemnon ; not only 
because, as leader of the army, to him belonged the 
great honor or shame of the outcome of the war, 
but because he felt also that he was to blame for 
the misfortunes of the Greeks, since Achilles on his 
account had parted from them. Therefore, he 
wished to atone for his injustice, and to reconcile 
Achilles by making rich presents. They were, in- 
deed, rich presents which he offered ; — of gold and 
precious implements such as only a king could offer, 
then seven skillful slaves, among whom was Briseis. 
He promised also that when Troy should be con- 
quered Achilles should fill his ship , with gold and 
bronze out of the booty, and when in Greece should 
have seven cities from Agamemnon’s kingdom, and 
should have his most beautiful daughter as a wife. 
Fine things enough to soften a very angry mind! 

The king chose as heralds the best friends of 
Achilles, — Ulysses, the mighty Ajax, and the aged 
Phoenix, his former trainer and teacher, and sent 
them to him at once. Achilles rejoiced to see these 
dear friends under his roof, and entertained them as 
well as he could. But when they made known their 
message, neither the cunning speech of Ulysses nor 
the heartfelt prayer of Phoenix could lessen his hate 
against the king. He would rather give over his 
countrymen, yes, even his best friends, to ruin, than 


38 


TALES OF TROY. 


to cease his fierce hatred ; and he assured them that 
he would soon return in his ship to his native land, 
to enjoy in peace a long and happy life. The her- 
alds had to withdraw without having done any good, 
and could only report to the princes that nothing 
was to be hoped from Achilles. 


THE NIGHT SPIES. 


39 


THE NIGHT SPIES. 


F ROM the watch-fires of the Trojans sounded the 
joyous notes of the flute and the pipe, remind- 
ing the Greeks of the dangerous position in 
which they found themselves. In their anxiety for 
the safety of the camp, Agamemnon and the other 
princes went at midnight to the guards who lay at 
their fires before the wall, to see if they were faith- 
fully keeping watch. They found the guards all wide 
awake, and then seated themselves near by and held 
counsel. Then said Nestor to the other heroes : 
‘ ‘ Will one of you perhaps venture to creep up on 
the Trojans and listen to their speech, or even sur- 
prise some of those who lie at one side ? He who 
should do so would win great fame for himself, and 
every prince would give him a ewe and a lamb.” 
Then arose the bold Diomed and said, “I will ven- 
ture it, yet I should gladly have a companion, for two 
are more cunning than one.” Six at once offered 
themselves, and Agamemnon told him to choose the 
one he would most like to take with him. Without 
hesitating, he chose Ulysses. ‘ ‘ Minerva loves him 


40 


TALES OF TROY. 


said he, “and with him I should not fear to go 
through fire and flame, for he always knows what to 
do.” The heroes armed themselves and went across 
the battle-field toward the watch-fires of the enemy. 
Here were now together the two whom Minerva 
most loved ; she sent them at once a good sign to 
encourage them, — a heron which flew from the right 
over their heads, and which they knew only from its 
cry, for they could not see it. 

Hector wished also to send out a spy, and offered 
as a reward the best chariot and the best horses that 
should be captured from the Greeks to any one who 
should go into the camp and bring him news whether 
the Greeks intended to flee. This offer excited young 
Dolon, who, though small of body, was a good run- 
ner. He stepped forward and said : “I will go, but 
you must swear to me that you will give me the fin- 
est of all, the span which belongs to Achilles. To win 
them, I will penetrate even to the tent of Agamem- 
non, where the princes are now surely assembled.” 
Hector called Jupiter to witness, and swore that no 
other than Dolon should have the horses of Achilles. 
Then Dolon went on his way with joyful hope ; he 
could think of nothing but the splendid chariot and 
the horses, and how proud he should be to drive them. 

In the meantime, Diomed and Ulysses had care- 
fully gone on their way. Suddenly Ulysses stood 
still and said softly to Diomed : * ‘ There comes a Tro- 


THE NIGHT SPIES. 


41 


jan, but I do not know whether he seeks to plunder 
the dead or to gather news. We will let him pass 
and then catch him.” The whole field was covered 
with dead ; so they lay among the corpses, and waited 
until Dolon was past. Then they sprang up and ran 
after him. Dolon at first thought it was somebody 
sent by Hector to call him back ; but when they came 
near and did not call to him, he saw that they were 
enemies, and ran with all his might, in a curve, in 
order to get back to the Trojans. But the two shut 
off his return, and compelled him to approach nearer 
and nearer to the Greek camp. All at once Diomed 
called to him, ‘ ‘ Stand ! or my spear will pierce you, ” 
and he at once threw the spear, but intentionally so 
that it should miss him and stick into the ground 
close before him. Dolon stood still, and his teeth 
chattered from fear. As the two seized him, he said 
in tears, 1 1 Do not kill me ; my father is rich and he 
will ransom me when he hears that I am in your 
hands.” Ulysses answered, “Do not think about 
death now, but tell me why you came upon the battle- 
field. Did you come as a spy or with some other 
design?” With trembling voice, Dolon answered, 

1 1 Hector tempted me to this, for he promised me the 
horses of Achilles if I would bring news of you.” 
Then Ulysess smiled and said : “You are too self-con- 
fident ; no other than Achilles himself could drive 
those horses. But tell me, where did you leave Hec- 


42 


TALES OF TROT. 


tor? How is the army guarded?” Dolon answered: 
“Hector and the other princes are in the middle of 
the camp ; the other Trojans sit about the fires and 
keep watch, but the allies are asleep, for they have 
no wives and children in Troy to guard.” Ulysses 
inquired further, “Are the allies mixed with the Tro- 
jans, or have they a separate camp?” Dolon gave a 
report of where the various troops lay, and to gain 
the favor of the heroes, he added, £ £ If you want to 
creep into the camp, the Thracians lie on the out- 
most edge of the camp. They arrived to-day with 
their king, Rhesus. He has the finest horses that I 
have ever seen, they are snow-white and run like the 
wind. His chariots glitter with silver and gold, and 
his armor is of pure gold. But take me now to the 
ships or bind me to this tree, and convince yourself 
whether I have told you the truth.” But Diomed 
frowned upon him and said : £ £ You cannot remain 
alive, however much you offer. If we free you, you 
will later appear against us, either as warrior or 
spy. We are safe from you, only when you are dead. ” 
Dolon would have spoken further, but his words 
were cut short by the sword of Diomed. 

Diomed took off his weapon and clothing, held 
them up and said : “ This booty is dedicated to you, 
Minerva ; but lead us now to the Thracians and their 
horses. ” He hung the things on a tree in order to 
get them on the return. 


THE NIGHT SPIES. 


43 


They went on between the bodies until they 
came to the camp of the Thracians. Ulysses knew 
it first, and whispered to Dioined, “See, there are 
the milk-white horses ; the companions of the king 
must live here.” Diomed drew his sword and went 
from one to another of the sleeping Thracians and 
slew them. There were twelve of them, and the king, 
who was slain last, was the thirteenth. As soon as 
one was dead, Ulysses drew him away by the feet, in 
order to get to the horses. When the way was clear, 
he led the horses after him. Diomed wished to con- 
tinue the bloody work, but Minerva, though invisi- 
ble, spoke to him — “Think of your return to the 
ships.” 

The heroes, therefore, threw themselves upon 
the horses and hastened away. It was high time ; 
for the groaning and rattling in the throat by the 
dying, woke a Thracian, and when he saw what de- 
struction the enemy had done among them, he raised 
a loud cry. The Trojans heard it, hastened to the 
spot, and followed the heroes, but could not over- 
take them. 

The Greek princes who had awaited them by the 
watch-fires were astonished to hear the tramping of 
horses, for they had hoped, at the most, that the 
brave spies would get back with their lives, not with 
captured horses. So much the more joyfully were 
they greeted when soon the white horses, with their 


44 


TALES OF TROY. 


riders upon them, could be seen by the light of the 
fires. 

+ 

The heroes sprang down and related what they 
had done, when all returned to the tents. Before 
Ulysses and Diomed lay down to sleep, -they washed 
themselves free from blood and dust in the sea, and 
ate a hearty meal. Dolon’s clothing and weapons 
were placed by Ulysses upon his ship, as an offering 
to the goddess Minerva. 













• • . 















THE FIGHT FOR THE BODY OF PATROCLUS 


PATROCLUS. 


45 


PATROCLUS. 


JJl 


HE night passed, and the sun again mounted 
from the sea. The Greeks looked forward to 
the new day with anxiety, yet without hesita- 
tion they marched out against the Trojans, who, 
full of the hope of victory, thought on this day to 
decide the fate of the long war. At first the Greeks 
stood bravely, but the gods were against them ; 
some of their best heroes were wounded and borne 
from the field. Achilles stood upon his ship and 
viewed the tumult of battle. Soon a chariot drove 
hastily to the camp not far from the ship. It was 
driven by the old Nestor, who had a wounded hero 
by his side. Achilles thought it must be Machaon, 
whom he loved, and who was as skillful a leech as 
soldier. Achilles was not sure, and sent his friend 
Patroclus to Nestor’s tent to learn whether Machaon 
was really wounded. Patroclus was the best friend 
of Achilles. They had lived together as boys, and 
the older they became, the more they grew to be one 
heart and soul. Patroclus was the dearest on earth 
to Achilles, and he could not imagine a happy life 


46 


TALES OF TROY. 


without him. When Patroclus reached Nesuor’s tent, 
he saw that Achilles had guessed rightly, and started 
to return. But Nestor detained him, and said: “If 
it were only this one ! You do not know what great 
misfortune has broken over us. Our best men, Ulys- 
ses, Diomed, Agamemnon, lie in their tents pierced 
by spears or arrows, and can fight no more. Does 
Achilles feel no pity? Will he wait until Hector fires 
our ships ? Did not his father Peleus admonish him 
always to prove himself the bravest of the Greeks ? 
Persuade him to help us ; perhaps he will yield to 
your entreaty. But if he is determined not to help 
us himself, let him at least send you and his soldiers 
to the battle, and let him lend you his armor. The 
Trojans will think him again among us, and will re- 
treat in terror.” 

The pitying heart of Patroclus had been already 
stirred by the misfortune of the Greeks, and thus so 
much the more did the words of Nestor touch his 
heart, and he sadly departed. In the camp he met 
a warrior, who, wounded in the thigh by an arrow, 
could barely hobble along, and who, groaning, begged 
him to help him to his tent, to cut out the arrow, and 
to lay healing herbs on the wound. Patroclus could 
not deny him, and so it happened that he stayed 
longer in the camp than he had intended. But in the 
meantime, the battle took a still worse turn. The 
Greeks could no longer resist the attacks of the enemy 


PATROCLUS. 


47 


upon the open field ; they fled behind their walls and 
barred the doors. But the Trojans moved against 
the walls and prepared to storm them. Many of 
them found their death, for the Greeks had mounted 
the walls and threw spears and stones, and when a 
Trojan was bold enough to mount the wall, he was 
thrown down or pierced with swords. The ditches 
were soon filled with the slain, but still Hector urged 
on his troops, and showed them the bravest example. 
After they had long stormed the camp in vain, Hec- 
tor succeeded in crushing in a gate by hurling a 
mighty stone against it. Troops of Trojans poured 
into the camp through the opening, and the battle 
drew nearer and nearer to the ships. Patroclus saw 
this before he returned to Achilles. With tears in 
his eyes, he related to Achilles what had happened, 
and implored him, if he would not himself help the 
Greeks, to do as Nestor had said, and send him in 
the armor of Achilles, with the Myrmidons, to their 
aid. However pitiless and cold Achilles had been the 
night before, when the messengers of Agamemnon 
came to him, he could not, in the great danger, re- 
main unmoved, so he yielded to the wish of his friend. 
The Myrmidons rejoiced when they learned that they 
were to arm themselves and follow Patroclus into the 
battle. Patroclus, with the arms of Achilles, soon 
stood in the chariot in which Achilles had formerly 
fought. The driver was also the same. Only the 


48 


TALES OF TROY. 


spear of Achilles he did not take, for no other war- 
rior could wield the heavy weapon. Before the troops 
started, Achilles cautioned his friend merely to drive 
the Trojans out of the camp, and, should he succeed, 
not to try to press the foe into their city, and per- 
haps to capture it. 

With joyous battle cry, the Myrmidons rushed 
out. It was high time, if the Greeks were to be 
saved from total destruction, for long since had the 
battle raged about the ships. The greater Ajax 
stood upon a ship which Hector and the bravest of 
the Trojans were seeking to burn. He had seized a 
long and heavy oar, and woe to the enemy who was 
struck by it. He sprang from one side of the ship 
to the other, and gave his mighty blows where the 
danger was the greatest. He was already tired unto 
death with the efforts of the day, but he used his 
greatest strength, for he well knew if the first ship 
should burn, the flames would spread over the whole 
fleet, and rob them of their last resort, the flight to 
their homes. Hector called constantly: “Bring fire! 
Bring fire! Jupiter gives us a lucky day; we will 
destroy the ships that brought this terrible war into 
the land. ” 

Finally Ajax could no longer wield his oar; he 
seized the lighter lance, but the enemy pressed upon 
him and his companions with numberless shots, so 
that they had to yield more and more. 


AJAX DEFENDING THE GREEK SHIPS AGAINST THE TROJANS. 









































































PATROCLUS. 


49 


Suddenly a shout was heard among the Trojans, 

‘ ‘Achilles is here ! Achilles is here ! ” The Myrmidons, 
with Patroclus at their head, fell upon the Trojans, 
who had fought since morning, and who, besides, 
thought that the dreaded hero of the Greeks, Achil- 
les, led the troop. There was no halting ; they turned 
towards the gates, and fled to the open fields with- 
out. The Myrmidons and the other Greeks, who were 
now fired with new courage, pressed after them, and 
death and destruction fell upon the Trojans. 

And even when the Trojans perceived the decep- 
tion, and knew that not Achilles, but only his friend 
and his weapons had fought against them, they did 
not recover their former confidence, but let them- 
selves be driven nearer and nearer to the city. Ac- 
cording to the wish of Achilles, Patroclus ought long 
before to have turned ; but he was like a stone upon 
a hill-side, which once set to rolling is hard to stop. 
His hopes rose higher and higher ; after slaying so 
many Trojans, he thought it might be given to him 
to make an end of the war by storming the city. He 
did not suspect that his race was run. As, close by 
the city, he pressed upon Hector, the god Apollo, the 
friend and protector of the Trojans, came behind him, 
and struck him with open hand upon the back and 
shoulders. His helmet fell from his head, shield and 
armor sank, and he lost his senses. Then a Trojan 
lance struck him. Patroclus tried to seek protection 


50 


TALES OF TROY. 


behind his soldiers, but Hector sprang toward him, 
sending his lance far into his body. Joyously he 
shouted, “You thought to take our city, Patroclus, 
but now you shall become food for the vultures.” 

Patroclus was dying, and returned with weak voice, 
“You will not live long, for death at the hands of 
Achilles is sure of you. ” Hector took the armor 
which Achilles had worn, and put it upon himself. 

There now arose a new battle, not for the storm- 
ing or the rescue of Troy, but for the body of Patro- 
clus. Hector and the Trojans exerted all their power 
to gain it, and the Greeks held it for a great shame 
not to bring it back to the camp. Piles of dead lay 
upon the way where now the Trojans dragged the 
body toward the city, now the Greeks toward the 
camp. After long struggle, th,> Greeks had gained 
it, and Ajax and Menelaus sought to keep off the 
Trojans. It was still to be feared that the body 
might be torn away from them, and hence Menelaus 
sent a young hero to Achilles, saying that Patroclus 
had fallen, and that his body was in danger of being 
seized by the enemy. 

When Achilles learned of the death of his friend, 
he writhed in the dust in despair and pain ; then 
sprang up, and, without armor and without weapons, 
rushed in rapid run toward the ditch which en- 
closed the camp. He lifted his voice and gave three 
mighty shouts, suchas could come only out of his 


PATROCLUS. 


51 


breast. The Trojans knew at once by the voice that 
it was Achilles, and however near they thought they 
were to getting the body, they were now seized with 
terror. Soon they gave up all efforts and retreated. 


52 


TALES OF TROY. 


ACHILLES AND HECTOR. 


TT7 HE rage which Achilles had cherished against 
1 Agamemnon had been sweeter than honey to 
him, but now he bitterly regretted it, since it 
had brought him the loss of his dearest friend. His 
sole wish now was to avenge the death of Patroclus. 
His armor and arms were the booty of Hector, but 
his mother prayed Vulcan, the smith of the gods, to 
forge him another. He received it on the following 
morning; it was much finer than the other. He 
called a counsel of the Greeks and gave up his en- 
mity. Agamemnon acknowledged his injustice, and 
had all the rich gifts which he had offered for recon- 
ciliation carried to the tent of Achilles ; but if they 
had been whole kingdoms, Achilles would have cared 
nothing about them now. He wished only that the 
battle might at once begin, and the time seemed long 
till the Greeks had strengthened themselves for the 
fight, with breakfast. For himself, he disdained to 
touch food or drink ; he would eat nothing until he 
had avenged his friend. 

The Trojans had again remained upon the open 
field. One of their heroes foresaw how much greater 


ACHILLES AND HECTOR. 


53 


the danger would be, should Achilles again help the 
Greeks, and advised that they should shut themselves 
up in their city, so that if the Greeks should storm 
it, they might beat them off from the walls. 

But Hector knew no fear, and thought that, even 
though Achilles were the son of a goddess, he was 
yet a mortal man, and could suffer death as well as 
he himself. He advised the Trojans to continue the 
war in the open field, and they followed his advice. 
When, therefore, the Greeks advanced, they found 
their opponents prepared, and there followed the 
bloodiest battle of the war. Some of the Greek 
heroes still suffered from the wounds of the day be- 
fore, so that they could not fight. But this did the 
Trojans no good, for Achilles was more than all of 
them together. He was like a reaper under whose 
sturdy blows the ripe grain sinks in bundles to the 
earth. 

Wherever Achilles passed into the ranks of the 
Trojans, there lay piles of dead enemies around him. 
But for a long time the Trojans, fired by Hector, 
would not yield the fight ; finally, however, they re- 
treated to their city, and the nearer they approached 
it, the quicker became their steps. 

The old men of the city had seen their flight from 
the walls and now opened the gate to let them in. 
Achilles was constantly upon their heels, and would 
have pressed into the city with them, had not his 


54 


TALES OF TROY. 


protecting god, Apollo, rescued him. He assumed 
the form of a Trojan hero, and placed himself in the 
way of Achilles, as if he desired to fight him ; when 
Achilles turned upon him, he fled to one side and al- 
lowed himself to be followed. He always remained 
so near that Achilles thought each moment to over- 
take him, and in this way Achilles was thus led fur- 
ther and further away. Finally, when they had ar- 
rived upon the open field, Apollo turned and said 
mockingly, “Why do you follow me, Achilles, and 
let the Trojans escape? Death has no power over 
me. ” With this he vanished, and Achilles ran raging 
back to the gates. 

The Trojans were behind the walls in security; 
only Hector stood before the gate. He had advised 
battle upon the open field, and was ashamed to go 
into the city as a fugitive, and he did not doubt, in 
his manly heart, to bear off the victory in a fight 
with Achilles. 

In vain father and mother besought him to save 
his precious life for the sake of the city, whose best 
protector he was ; he remained deaf to all entreaty. 
Achilles now approached ; the place before the gate 
was empty, except that his deadly enemy was still 
there. With blazing eyes, he sprang upon him like 
a panther, and when Hector saw these eyes close by, 
a sudden fear seized him ; he fled, and Achilles pur- 
sued. There was a race, in which both runners 


ACHILLES AND HECTOR. 


55 


strained all their powers, for they ran for a high 
prize, — Hector for life, and Achilles for the satisfac- 
tion of his revenge. Three times they ran around 
the wide city. Finally, as they came for the fourth 
time before the gate, Hector ceased to run, and 
awaited his enemy. He said to him, “Let the gods 
decide which of us shall conquer. Tf you fall, I will 
take only your arms, but give your body to your 
friends, that they may bury it with honors. I swear 
this to you, do you swear likewise to me.” But with 
a dark look, Achilles replied : ‘ * Have you heard that 
lions and men, or wolves and sheep promise to spare 
each other ? Protect yourself, and expect from me 
only the bitterest enmity.” At the same time he 
drew back with his lance, and hurled it with whizzing 
speed at Hector. But Hector bent down, and the 
lance entered the ground behind him. “You have 
missed,” he cried; “may I succeed better, that by 
your death the war may be made tighter to the Tro- 
jans. ” He made a mighty throw, and struck the 
shield of Achilles, but the lance fell harmless from 
the work of Vulcan. He tore his sword from the 
scabbard, and sprang upon his foe. Achilles held 
his shield before him, and with drawn lance watched 
for a place on Hector’s body which was not protected 
by armor. Soon he spied a joint in the harness 
where the breastplate meets the throat, and quickly 
drove his spear threw the opening. Hector was mor- 


56 


TALES OF TROY. 


tally wounded and fell to the ground. With savage 
laugh, Achilles speaks to him, “You thought that 
Patroclus would not be avenged, but now the vultures 
and the dogs shall eat you. ” With faint voice Hec- 
tor beseeches him by all that is dear to him to allow 
his parents to ransom his body with gold and silver. 
But Achilles answered, “Though they should out- 
weigh you with gold, you shall not escape the vul- 
tures and the dogs. ” Hector was already dying, and 
said with his last strength, “You have a heart of 
iron ; think of me when Paris shall slay you with 
his arrow. ” It was believed in those days that the 
dying could see into the future. Achilles answered, 
“I shall meet my fate when the gods desire it.” The 
wrath of Achilles was not yet sated by the death of 
his enemy. He bound his feet to his chariot and 
dragged him to the camp. When he came to the 
camp he drove three times around the bier where 
Patroclus lay. Then he laid the body of Hector upon 
the face in the sand at the foot of the bier of Patro- 
clus, as if he would show his friend that he had been 
avenged. 


HECTOR’S body DRAGGED AT the CAR OF ACHILLES. 


1 



































































PRIAM IN THE GREEK CAMP. 


57 


PRIAM IN THE GREEK CAMP. 




LL the citizens of Troy were in deep grief 
since the death of Hector. It was with them 
as if not only the bravest hero were lost, but 
also the whole city gone up in flames. Still more 
sad were his brothers and sisters. No sleep came to 
the aged Priam; he neither ate nor drank, but sat 
with his head covered with his mantle, and when his 
pain became too great, he threw himself lamenting 
upon the ground, so that a stranger never would 
have known the king, who was covered over and over 
with dust. His sons and daughters sat lamenting 
about him. But when twelve days had passed, the 
gods took pity upon him, for Hector had always hon- 
ored them, and they loved him. They filled the soul 
of the aged father with courage, and gave him the 
resolution to venture into the camp of the Greeks 
and beseech of Achilles the body of his son. He 
arose suddenly, and ordered his chariot, that he might 
drive to Achilles. The aged queen and the sons be- 
sought him not to betray himself into the claws of 
his deadly enemies; but he fearlessly replied, “The 


58 


TALES OF TROY. 


gods will protect me, and should I find my death, I 
will gladly die, if I can again hold my beloved son 
in my arms. ” They finally gave him his will, and 
harnessed the horses to his chariot, and to still an- 
other upon which was to be laden the ransom, and 
which a herald was to drive. Priam chose from his 
treasures the most precious and costly utensils, and 
there were so many of them that the mules had a 
heavy load. The Trojans went with their king to 
the gates, but they feared never again to see him. 

Evening came on as they with the chariots reached 
the little stream that flowed through the plain. 
While the animals were drinking from the stream, 
the herald saw a trim young warrior approaching 
them from the Greek camp. The herald grew afraid, 
and advised flight back to the city, and the hair of 
the king rose from fear. But the young warrior 
came peacefully toward them, for it was the helpful 
god, Mercury, who by the will of Jupiter was to se- 
cure safe conduct to the king. He acted as if aston- 
ished at the bold deed, but said : “Your gray head 
reminds me of my father, from whom I have so long 
been separated ; I will stand by you. I am a Myr- 
midon, and will lead you to the tent of Achilles.” 
Surprised with pleasure, Priam offered him a beau- 
tiful goblet from the ransom as a present, but Mer- 
cury put it back, and said that without the will of 
Achilles he could not accept the gift. He mounted 







PRIAM TKYING TO OBTAIN TIIE BODY OF HECTOB. 



PRIAM IN THE GREEK CAMP. 


59 


Priam’s chariot, seized the reins, and drove toward 
the night entrance to the camp. Priam asked him 
if the body of his son was still in the camp, or whether 
it had been devoured by beasts. Mercury answered, 
“It looks as if he had just died ; the gods must have 
protected it from all decay.” This was the case; the 
gods had preserved it, so that neither time nor the 
dragging about in the dust had disfigured it. When 
they reached the walls, it was already dark. The gate 
was closed, and fastened with strong bars, and the 
guards were behind it. But through the might of 
the god, the guard sank into sleep, and the door 
opened of itself. When the chariots had reached the 
tents, the driver said to the king, that he was no 
mortal, but the god Mercury, and vanished. 

Achilles sat sunk in thought in his tent, when 
he suddenly felt his hand seized and kissed, and saw 
kneeling at his feet the sorrowful old man, whom he 
at once recognized. Priam said to him, “Be merci- 
ful and give me the body of my son ; I offer you the 
richest ransom. Your father mourns because you 
are far away, but I am more unhappy than he ; I 
have lost the most of my sons, and now the best of 
them all, and must resolve to kiss the hand of the 
conqueror of my beloved son.” 

Achilles was touched by the reminder of his own 
father, and the gods had also softened his heart ; his 
fierceness was not so wild as it had been. Gently 


60 


TALES OF TROY. 


he bade the kin-g rise, ana said to him that he would 
give him his will. He went out to make the exchange 
but left Priam behind in the tent, for he feared that 
should the father behold the body of his son, he 
would curse him in his pain, thereby raising anew 
his anger on account of the death of Patroclus to 
such an extent that he might slay the old man. The 
ransom was unloaded from the chariot; the body 
was bathed and anointed by the servants, then cov- 
ered by a splendid robe, laid upon a bier, and lifted 
into the chariot. After this was done, Achilles came 
back to the tent, and made the king eat and drink as 
his guest. He also had beds prepared in his tent for 
the king and his herald, and they both rested under 
his roof. But before the morning broke, Mercury 
again appeared and urged them to the return. The 
horses and mules were quickly harnessed, and the 
chariots were driven unnoticed between the tents of 
the sleeping Greeks, and through the gate, which 
again sprang open of itself. Mercury went with 
them to the stream, and soon after sunrise they were 
close to the city. The children of the king stood 
upon the walls, and when they saw him, went to meet 
him ; all the citizens came too, and wept aloud when 
they saw the shrouded corpse. The funeral cere- 
monies lasted twelve days, and during the whole time 
the Trojans were not disturbed by the Greeks. 
Achilles had, of his own free will, promised Priam 
to restrain the Greeks so long from battle. 


FUNERAL, OF HECTOR 








DEATH OF ACHILLES AND AJAX. 


61 


DEATH OF ACHILLES AND AJAX. 


W HEN battle again began, the Trojans lost 
many more of their best heroes on account 
of Achilles, but it was not long before he 
himself suffered death. He could be overcome by 
no one, hand to hand, and with equal weapons, but 
once, in the tumult of battle, when he was striking 
down every one whom he hit, Paris saw an oppor- 
tunity, laid an arrow upon the cord, and shot at 
him ; Apollo helped him, and the arrow gave a death 
wound to this greatest of heroes. Achilles felt that 
he must die, yet he did not retreat from the enemy, 
but scattered death and terror about him, as long as he 
had power to wield the lance. He was surrounded by 
a pile of dead enemies, when he finally broke down 
and died. The Trojans sought to seize his armor, and 
carry him to the city, in order to take revenge on the 
dead enemy, but the Greeks surrounded him, and after 
a long contest they won the victory, and bore him to 
their camp. His mother, Thetis, and all the Greeks 
mourned and lamented his death many days. When 
his body had been burned, his ashes were placed 


62 


TALES OF TROY. 


with those of Patroclus in the golden vase, and 
buried in the earth. Above the grave of the two 
friends arose a great hill, crowned with a stone 
shaft. On the following day great funeral games 
were played in his honor. Thetis gave away as 
prizes the most beautiful things found among his 
treasures. 

She also gave the armor and weapons of Achilles 
to Agamemnon, that he might give them to the 
greatest hero among the Greeks. The princes were 
to decide who was the greatest. Then two heroes 
strove for the honor, both of whom were worthy 
of it. They were the greater Ajax and Ulysses. 
The judges were long in doubt, but finally decided 
in favor of Ulysses. “For,” said they, “though in 
giant strength and battle courage, there is none 
equal to Ajax, Ulysses is a brave hero, and possessed 
of great cunning and wisdom, and therefore of more 
worth than Ajax. ” So Ulysses received the prize of 
honor, but Ajax took his defeat in bad grace, and 
became very angry. He wanted revenge not only 
on the victor, but also on the hated judges. When 
others in camp were asleep, he sat brooding in his 
tent, and thought whether he should set the camp 
on fire, thus causing the death of all the Greeks, or 
whether he should fall upon his enemies and kill 
them one by one. He decided to do the latter, and 
sprang up to kill them. But the Goddess Minerva, 


DEATH OF ACHILLES AND AJAX. 


63 


who was guarding her favorites, confused his 
thoughts, so that he saw everything as it was not. 
Instead of going to the tents, he took his way 
towards the meadows, where the herds of the 
Greeks were. Taking the sheep to be Greeks, he 
soon sought out Agamemnon and Menelaus and 
Nestor and Diomed from among them, and killed 
them as enemies with his sword. A stately wether 
he took for Ulysses, whom he overwhelmed with 
scornful speech, and beat with thorny rods before 
killing him. 

Ajax, worn out, sank at last to the ground, 
and fell asleep. In the morning he awoke in his 
right senses again, and saw all as it really was. 
When he beheld the dead sheep about him in- 
stead of murdered enemies, he was overcome with 
deepest shame. How his enemies would mock 
him, he thought, that he had wanted revenge on 
them, but had vented his rage on sheep! With this 
thought in mind he could not bear longer to remain 
alive. He drew his sword — it was the one he 
had received from Hector after their duel, as a gift 
of honor — set "the handle deep in the earth, and 
threw himself upon the blade. All the Greeks 
mourned his death, and Ulysses would gladly have 
given up the weapons of Achilles, if by this means 
he could have recalled the dead hero to life. 


64 


TALES OF TROY. 


THE DESTRUCTION OF TROY. 


TTT HE Trojans finally gave up the hope of defeat- 
I ing their enemies in the open field, and stayed 
within the city ; they barred the gates and 
kept watch upon the walls. The war was suspended, 
for the Greeks could neither induce the Trojans to 
come out, nor could they break into the city. One 
day the priest Calchas, who understood all the signs 
of the gods, saw how a hawk followed a pigeon. 
The hawk had almost reached the pigeon, when it 
slipped into a crack in the rock where the hawk 
could not follow; but the hawk hid in the foliage 
and waited. After a while the pigeon came out of 
the rock, since it thought the hawk no longer there ; 
but scarcely had the pigeon risen upon the wing, 
when the hawk left his hiding-place and caught it. 
Calchas told this to the Greek heroes, and advised 
them to do as the hawk had done, and take the city 
by stratagem. The cunning Ulysses thought of a 
plan that had never before been tried, and that 
had occurred to no one else. He made his plan 
known to them, and they all approved it but two, 


THE DESTRUCTION OF TROY. 


65 


who thougnt it a shame to use cunning, instead of 
fighting the enemy face to face. But Ulysses said: 
“All our efforts in the field are vain; even Achilles 
with his superhuman power and lion bravery has 
not been able to capture the city. Only by strategy 
can we succeed.” Then they consented. 

Trees were now felled in the forest, and dragged 
into camp. One of the Greek heroes was a skillful 
carpenter. He made, out of the wood, a monstrous 
horse, in whose body there was room for more than 
fifty heroes. When the horse was finished, fifty of 
the heroes were chosen. They climbed into the 
horse by a ladder, which the last one drew in after 
him. The opening was closed with a door, which 
was now bolted fast. The other Greeks pushed 
their ships into the sea, and made preparations as 
if for departure. Then they set fire to their tents, 
and burned them up. At night they sailed away 
by the light of the fire, so that the Trojans should 
think that they had given up the war, and wished to 
return home. But they merely sailed to an island, 
where they hid their ships in a deep bay. After the 
Trojans had watched the camp burn during the 
whole night, they came out on the next morning, 
but armed for battle, for they suspected it might be a 
stratagem, and that the Greeks had hidden themselves 
along the shore, in order to fall upon them when they 
were off their guard. They sought through every 


66 


TALES OF TROY. 


hollow, but found all empty, and now believed that 
the war was really at an end. The immense wooden 
horse, which they found upon the field, excited their 
greatest surprise, for however much they puzzled 
over it, they could not think what it meant. Then 
they found a Greek hidden in the bushes. His name 
was Sinon. He had offered to remain behind and 
fool the Trojans, as Ulysses had taught him. He 
was taken to the king, who was with the others 
upon the field. They asked him where the Greeks 
were, and why they had built the great horse, but 
for a long time no threats or promises could move 
him to say a word. Finally he acted as if it cost 
him much pain to break silence, and said : 4 £ It may 
be shameful to betray the secrets of my countrymen, 
but they deserve it of me ; for before they left they 
tried to sacrifice me to the gods of the sea, and only 
with mighty effort did I succeed in breaking the 
bonds with which they had bound me, and escaping 
to that thicket. Know then, the Greeks have given 
up the war, and have sailed for home. That horse 
is an offer of sacrifice to the goddess Minerva, that 
she may allow them to get safely home, and the 
priest Calchas says that your present and future 
fate depends upon that horse. If you injure it, 
destruction will come upon you ; if you take it to 
your fortress, then fortune will always be with you, 
and you will rule over all the land, far and wide. ” 


THE DESTRUCTION OF TROY. 


67 


There were various opinions among the Trojans. 
Some were suspicious, and advised piercing it with 
spear thrusts, or of taking it to the top of a hill and 
tumbling it into a chasm, but the great majority 
ceased not to utter their warnings, and cried that 
the horse should at once be taken into the city. 
This supposed offering was now covered with 
wreaths, and entwined with leaves. Numberless 
ropes were fastened to the legs, the body, and the 
head of the horse. Each man rejoiced when he 
could get hold of a rope, and, as he thought, help 
the city, so that in the future it need fear no foe. 
Amidst songs of joy, and with great effort, they 
drew the heavy load over the plain to the gate. 
Then they saw that the gate was too low for the 
horse, but they thought, ‘ ‘ What do we heed of the 
protection of the gate?” and tore it down. In the 
city a maiden met them, and called upon them in 
a loud voice to stop; they obeyed. It was Cassandra, 
a daughter of the king. Apollo had lent her the 
gift of looking into the future; and everything that 
she predicted came true. But she had at one time 
made the god angry, and he added the curse, that no 
one should believe her. Thus she could foretell 
evil, but could not prevent it. Now she stood 
before the horse and cried: “Unhappy men, you 
are drawing your destruction with you into the city. 
I see it already filled with fire, and murder, and 


68 


TALES OF TROY. 


blood. But you welcome your evil fate with songs 
of joy. Know you, you will eat your last meal 
to-day!” But this warning made no impression 
upon the people. They said, “We know her, she 
is a fool,” and they drew the horse on until they 
had brought it within the fortress. Then they went 
to their houses and celebrated the event with rich 
food and wine. Flutes and pipes sounded from all 
the houses, for they had not had so joyous a day for 
ten years. Thus they thought, but in truth mis- 
fortune stood close before their doors. 

When night came on, the city became still, the 
citizens lay in sleep. Sinon had eaten and drunk 
with them ; he was everywhere welcomed as the best 
of friends, who had freed them of all care. Now he 
crept through the streets to a hill before the city, 
and held a burning torch in his hand as a sign to 
the Greeks that it was time to return. Then he 
went to the place where the great horse stood. It 
needed only a gentle call, to make the horse alive. 
The door in the body opened, the ladder was let 
down, and the heroes came out one by one. They 
rushed with fire and sword through the streets. 
Soon they were joined by the other Greeks, and 
together they totally destroyed the city. 



















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